UW-Stout 2, UW-Oshkosh 0 |
WIAC Championship
MENOMONIE (May 19, 2021) -
James Palmer and
Jace Baumann combined for a shutout, UW-Stout's defense turned two double plays and threw out three batters attempting to steal and
Dan Deis and Drew Reis drove in a run apiece as the Blue Devils defeated UW-Oshkosh, 2-0, in the first round of the WIAC Baseball Championship, presented by Culver's, Wednesday, at Nelson Field.
Stout (22-17) advances to the next round of the WIAC tournament at Whitewater and will play top-seeded UW-Stevens Point, Friday, May 21 at 1 p.m.
Palmer struck out eight - breaking the school single-season strikeout record in the process - but consistently had to work his way out of jams, and his defense did the job time-and-time-again.
The Titans got to Palmer right away, rapping out a double and a single in the first inning. Palmer recorded a strikeout and forced a groundout to get out of the inning. The Titans' leadoff batter reached on an error in the second, but Palmer erased him on a pick off play as first baseman
Kasey Bass threw the advancing runner out at second. Palmer gave up a single, struck out the next batter, gave up a walk then struck out the final batter of the inning.
In the third inning, catcher
Alex Jinkins threw out a runner attempting to steal third. In the fourth, after Palmer whiffed the first batter, he gave up a walk, but then forced a grounder that second baseman
Levi Wilson started a double play. In the fifth, Palmer again made a pick off move to first and Bass threw out the runner at second. The Titans accumulated two hits in the sixth and a walk, but left the bases load.
The Blue Devil bats had nothing to write home about through the first five innings, collecting only one hit through five innings, and that came on a leadoff single by
Riley Boushack in the first innings. That changed in the sixth inning.
Joel Thimsen scored the game's first run.
Joel Thimsen led off with a double to deep center field, then moved to third on
Levi Wilson's grounder to first base.
Dan Deis lifted a 2-0 pitch to shallow centerfield and Thimsen came sliding home head first to put the Blue Devils on the board.
The Titans loaded the bases again in the seventh inning, spelling the end of Palmer's afternoon.
Jace Baumann came on and struck out the final out.
The Blue Devils got an insurance run in the seventh inning. Following an out, Jinkins was hit by a pitch and Bass reached on an error that put Bass on second and Jinkins at third.
Hunter Merrill drew an intentional walk and Drew Reis smacked an RBI single to center field, scoring Jinkins and the Blue Devils had a 2-0 lead.
The rains began to fall, but Baumann put the Titans down in order in the eighth before a 29-minute rain delay was called. After the field was back in playing condition, the Blue Devils loaded the bases, but couldn't get anything across. Baumann came out after the delay, forced a foul fly to Jinkins and allowed a single. Stout ended the game on a double play when Wilson snared a line drive, then ran to first to get the an unassisted double play and Stout had won their first WIAC tournament game since the 2007 season.
Palmer finished with eight strikeouts to run his season total to 76, one more than Ron Yessa tossed during the 1997 season. Palmer gave up seven hits and four walks, while facing 30 batters. Baumann came on to earn the save, striking out one, allowing a hit while facing seven batters.
The Titans' Jarrett Scheelk went the full eight innings, giving up only three hits, walked three and struck out two. Scheelk, along with Jake Surane and Hunter Staniske each finished with two hits. Oshkosh out-hit Stout 8-3, but stranded 10 runners to Stout's five.
Stout's three hits came from Boushack, Ries and Thimsen. Szykowny's on-base streak ended at 45, a streak that went back to the 2019 season. Defensively, Szykowny finished with three putouts and one assist.
Szykowny will have a chance to start a new streak when the Blue Devils face UW-Stevens Point Friday. A win over the top-seeded Pointers and the Blue Devils would play at 7 p.m. that evening. A loss and Stout would have to turn around quickly to get ready for the 4 p.m. elimination contest.
Jace Baumann pitches through a downpour. The game went into a 29-minute delay after the top of the eighth.
